A Unique Approach To Homecare

Make Heart Healthy Choices This February

Posted by Steve Jones

Sat, Jan 31, 2015

Starting tomorrow, February 1, Heart Month kicks off in Canada and the U.S.Heart Month began in Canada in 1958 when the Heart and Stroke Foundation created a
modest door-to-door canvassing campaign to raise money for research. Thay
raised $320,000 and have been going strong ever since. Today, 130,000
volunteers and two million donors play a role in fundraising for heart
disease and stroke research.

Prevelance of cardiovascular health issues

Although the prevelance of heart disease and stroke in Canada has decreased
by 75% since the founding of Heart and Stroke Foundation, these two conditions
are still the second and third most common cause of death. There are an
estimated 70,000 heart attacks every year, which is one every seven minutes.
Nine out of 10 Canadians have at least one major risk factor for heart
disease and 4 in 10 have at least three major risk factors.

Cost of heart disease and stroke

According to the Conference Board of Canada, heart disease and stroke cost
the economy $20.9 billion each year in physician services, hospital costs,
lost wages and decreased productivity. That's not counting the millions
of hours of unpaid caregiving from family members and friends.

Are you at risk?

All of us have some risk for getting heart disease, and some of us are
at higher risk than others. There are also some uncontrollable factors,
as well as many risk factors that can be controlled through lifestyle choices.

Uncontrollable Factors

Age - the risk for heart disease doubles every 10 years after the age of 55

Family history - family members who have had a stroke or heart attack puts
you at a higher risk because of genes

Gender - men have a higher risk than pre-menopausal women; however, after
menopause, women have similar risk levels to their male counterparts

Ethnicity - people of African or Asian descent have a higher risk of developing
some form of heart disease

Controllable Factors

High blood pressure (hypertension)

High cholesterol

Tobacco use

Physical inactivity

Type 2 diabetes

Diet high in saturated fat

Alcohol abuse

What you can do to lower your risk

Find ways to lower stress -
Meditation, yoga, exercise, counselling, gratitudes journaling, active hobbies, and even medication
are all potential ways to lower stress in your life. Start by listing
what's causing it, then think about how to solve each individual issue.
Don't try to attack every issue at once; instead, taking it one step
at a time. Reducing your stress can help lower blood pressure, support
a smoke-free life, and lower the want to alcohol consumption.

Get active - Numerous studies have shown that 30 minutes of moderate exercise (walking,
deep cleaning, swimming, etc.) 3-5 times per week can have significant
impacts on your health overall. It will help you lose weight, control
your cholesterol, lower stress, and simply make you
feel good.

Watch your alcohol intake - Red wine and even beer has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease
in various studies, but only if consumed in moderation (no more than 1
beer or 2 glasses of wine per day). France has one of the lowest rates
of death due to heart disease, possibly because of their tradition of
having a glass of wine nearly every day with supper. However, heavy drinking
can have the opposite effect and actually increase your risk.

Clean up your diet - This is probably one of the hardest suggestions for many people. However,
eating a diet with lots of red meat, fried food, and saturated and trans
fats could be killing you from the inside out. Check out Dietitians of
Canada's website for ideas of a
heart-healthy diet. There are also many recipes you can find that not only taste delicious
but are wonder for your body by searching 'heart healthy recipes'.

Quit smoking - There are many great programs sponsored by hospitals and other great
resources like the
Smoker’s Helpline on the web or 877-513-5333.

Take the time this month to commit to changing your lifestyle to improve
the health of your heart and the rest of your body. Get support by involving
your friends and family and encouraging them to do the same. Together,
we can protect our hearts and health!